Escaping to the country, living the dream, and battling the blackberries.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Poultry run, summer busy, and critter update

This is why I haven't been posting. The new poultry run has eaten up all my time between rain and then too-hot-to-work weather. Been crazy busy. It's almost done, and I'll post pics once it's totally finished and I've moved on to another project.

I've got some family and friends pretty ticked off at me lately because I've disappeared. Thing is, it's summer. I work full-time already. Then, because it's summer and mostly not raining and light rather late, I spend all my not-at-work time doing all the stuff I can't do when it's "not-summer". I really really don't have the time to go spend a day at the farmer's market, or antiquing, or just generally farting around. There's mowing, and weedeating, and the garden, and the animals, and all the baby animals, and house projects, and the chicken run, and the new steps we need to install, and fruit that needs picking and preserving, and a coop that needs repainting...etc etc etc. I get home from work, change my clothes, and go work outside. We might take one day a month to go do something not home related, like going to yard sales or mushroom hunting. That's it.

So, really quick update.

Birds
Goldy-hen and 4 duck babies are still in the chicken tractor and doing really well. Goldy is turning out to be a super mom.

Turkey eggs: 4 weren't fertile, 2 stopped developing halfway, 2 got broken by the hens, 3 pipped and didn't get any further, 3 hatched. The three poults are doing great, and are in a different chicken tractor with Bellina, who I know is a kickbutt mom. My kickass S&BiL hatched out some turkeys earlier this season... maybe they'll trade with me so I can mix up the bloodlines.... haven't asked yet what they're planning on doing with their turkeys. Add that to my list. If not, I can always just sub some purchased poults next year. Heck, I don't even know yet what the sexes are of my 3 piddly poults. Should be able to make a guess in just a couple weeks. I really want to have a tom and a couple hens. Want my own farm-hatched babies, and not have to purchase our turkeys every year.

The two chicken eggs I stuck under Smaug so she'd stop stealing nests didn't hatch. Weren't fertile. The two black copper maran "pullets" I bought turned out to be cockerels. I think I need to keep one. Hubby doesn't agree. I'm thinking along the lines of, "tough, I'm keeping one". :)

More 'scovy eggs are destined for the incubator. I have 15, and should have 17-19 total come Thurs when I start the incubation. If Freida goes broody, I'll let her sit, but if the ducks hatch any more babies themselves, they'll go into the chicken tractor until the babies are big enough to not be easy raven pickins.

Brush-mowers
Traeger and Weber are doing great. Weber is growing like crazy, but Traeger (the goat) isn't growing nearly as fast. Shocking, considering how much he eats. We're really impressed with Weber, a katahdin sheep. He mows down blackberries and other brush just as fast and happily as the goat. I'm thinking we may do this breed again. Very very happy with him.

Annnnnnd... that's about it for now. Work to do. Have a fun and safe 4th!!

4 comments:

Hi,I see your comment about the goat not growing as much. He may need to be dewormed or need coccidiosis treatment. Young goats are extremely prone to tapeworms, stomach worms, and coccidia. If you want him to grow fast and get meaty, then I recommend putting him on a worm and coccidia treatment and prevention program. Unfortunately, not doing this will result in a very slow growing animal and lots of money spent feeding his parasites and not him. He should be gaining at least 2 lbs. a week at this point.

Thanks for the tip, Rose! From reading your blog, I know that you know your stuff. We actually wormed just around the time I posted. I think the sheep just grows faster. Both are sleek and sassy, in any case. I think I'm just used to the rapid growth rate of pigs and poultry. lol!

Paula, we'll have to get you out here soon. With summer stuff and Chad's currently shifting schedule, it's been a little crazy. :)

About Me

30-something gal who grew up in N California raising Percherons, and was a parkie for 4 seasons during college. After several years of being stuck in town, my lumberjack man (LJ for short) and I finally escaped to the country. No more listening to car horns and squealing tires! While I attempt to use proper grammar and punctuation, I tend to write like I talk. Lots of sentence fragments, run-on sentences. Bear with me as I try to keep a record of activity/progress on our property and with our critters (which at any time might include dogs, cat, ducks, geese, chickens, meat chickens, pigs, goats, turkeys, guineas, bees, etc)